"If you had asked me at 21 years old if I'd one day start a business in cannabis, I'd give you an uncomfortable, confused, but friendly laugh.

Then I'd hand you a Book Of Mormon.

Yup... Because at 21 I wasn't living a typical college-age lifestyle. I wasn't in a dorm or sharing a house with friends. I wasn't studying at college to build a career. I certainly wasn't drinking or, heaven forbid... smoking the devil's lettuce.

Nope, at 21 I was living in Mongolia. Working as a full-time Mormon missionary and English teacher. White shirt, clean cut, black name tag, plastered Book-Of-Mormon-Musical smile and all.

Hi, I'm Eric Johnston.

How does a once-devout Mormon end up in the cannabis space? That's a story for a good sesh.

For now, let's get back to business. Cannabusiness.

Ten years after Mormonism and Mongolia, I found myself desperately needing to switch careers from driving ambulances to a more calm job, with better pay, to support my new family.

I ended up at Minnesota's real estate multiple listing service. While a great job, I wanted more for my family. So I began teaching myself marketing and business at night. After several years of working nights for clients I landed a big break as Head of Marketing for a local real estate tycoon, and one of the top real estate teams in the nation.

After success with that team, I worked for many great companies across multiple industries, generating 10's of millions in sales for small businesses. Eventually I even became a Chief Marketing Officer for startups. However, with the recent collapse of the real estate market I had to move on. I decided to start my own venture.

This happened the same year cannabis became fully legal in Minnesota. I began networking in the industry to see where the gaps were, and if I possibly had a way to add value and serve the MN cannabis market.

I quickly discovered there was a lot of entrepreneurs excited to start, and a lot of confusion as to how to start a business, let alone how to grow a business.

That's when my lightbulb moment happened - Bring the experts and the entrepreneurs together into one collaborative professional community.

This was exactly how I grew in my own entrepreneurial journey. How I learned business principles, marketing, and growth strategies that helped me grow many brands successfully. And I've seen many friends find similar success this way in other industries.

I knew Minnesota's cannapreneurs would find just as much value in a growth-minded community as I had.

So I decided to give all of my startup experience to something I actually cared about - a community, a market, a state, and a plant that helped me process leaving an extreme religion. (On a personal note, it feels righteous as hell to flip the script on my religion-sales-indoctrination to help the cannabis industry).

Personally, I used to harshly judge cannabis consumers. I thought stoners where losers and sinners. I straight up preached it to Mongolians... that's programed I was. Despite never trying any drug of any kind.

But not anymore. The judgement of other's journeys, and stigma over a scientifically-proven healing plant needs to stop.

So now I offer marketing and growth consulting to cannabis companies. While I obviously want to make money to support my family, I'm in it to de-stigmatize responsible adult cannabis use, and contribute through what I've learned growing companies in other industries.

My professional mission through The Grow House is to support cannapreneurs with affordable business education and high level networking. That's how I grew from ambulance driver to Chief Marketing Officer. The cannabis industry is being built by people changing industries just like I did. Community is what enables that personal growth.

In the past I changed industries to better support my family. But this time you and I get to do that through cannabis... which is straight up righteous.

Welcome to The Grow House, friend. I want to see you grow professionally, and personally."